A simple reading of this title seems a priori positive. Because freedom, as we know how to define it in various sciences, is always something positive. But in this case, the word ‘free’ echoes in my mind like a resurrection. Let me explain. What is resurrection? Resurrection is a concept generally used in spirituality and which means coming back to life after death. On 29 January 20025, my colleague, a postulant and the driver had what I can symbolically call a nearly death experience’ at the hands of rebels in this beautiful mission land of Central Africa. ‘You are free’ is the expression of our return to life.

Since independence in 1960, the Central African Republic (Be Africa in Sango means ‘heart of Africa’), this small country in Central Africa, rich in natural and human resources, has been experiencing great political instability and social insecurity, despite the support of international partners from Africa and elsewhere. The presence of various organised or independent armed groups, and particularly the 3R armed group, one of the most powerful groups of the moment, is sowing horrors throughout the country, especially in the dry season, when access to the bush is easier than in the rainy season. So, any trip to the fields, the goldfields or ordinary journeys are subject to the constant risk of encountering one of these groups along the way, knowing that they are people charged with violence and capable of the worst. Our experience was not the most violent, but it seemed that time had stopped for us.. As for our ‘almost-death experience’, we got up as usual that day, with our travel plans. We went to mass and the mood for the day was set. Having planned to leave at the end of the morning, we went to assist our various departments. When the time came to leave, we set off with great joy, with the intention of having a wonderful meeting of consecrated life in Bouar, as in previous years. The driver, a Muslim, prayed to his God and we to ours, also invoking the saints according to our Christian tradition. About twenty minutes after our departure, just after we had finished praying, we fell into the hands of the rebels who made the driver brake before pointing a gun at his head and ordering him to stop the engine and get out of the car with some money. While one held the driver, the others took care of us with the same gestures, directing us towards the bush after slapping the driver and me for daring to ask them to take what they needed and let us continue on our way. We were forced to obey. It was the start of a long march of more than ten kilometres through the bush, under the lashes of whips, with the watchwords: ‘fast, fast, lazy’.

We weren’t allowed to get tired, because we had to get away from the road as quickly and as far as possible. At the first station, let’s call it that, they searched us, searched my rucksack, which one of them was carrying. They took all our shopping money, phones, watches and other things they thought were important. Then they insisted on calling our superiors or members of our families for a ransom of twenty million francs cfa (20,000,000 frs). The Lord calmly and prudently put the right words in our mouths. We simply replied that we were orphans cared for by the Church. We clearly felt that they didn’t understand what the Church meant; they were Fulani. Despite their insistence and the whippings, we stuck to our words. They kept up the pressure by making us do another walk in the bush to get to a second station: lashes, threats, insistence on calling the superiors or the families without success. Then, at one point, the miracle of liberation happened. The gang leader said: ‘You’re free! Between surprise and fear, nobody moved. It was as if the very expression had paralysed us. Then, after a moment’s silence, we heard the words again: ‘You are free! After thanking them, I made a point of shaking hands with each of our executioners, who were laughing, I can’t say why, before catching up with the others on the way back. We walked for forty minutes, at a faster speed than on the outward journey, to reach the main road where the soldiers were uncertainly waiting for us. Their presence confirmed our freedom from the lawless men.

How could we not give our liberation a symbolic meaning of resurrection? As we entered the bush, I had the impression that time had stopped for us. The bush seemed like a tomb where nothing depended on us anymore, but on our abductors. But God had not yet spoken. We prayed wholeheartedly, with faith, abandoning ourselves to God’s will. Yes, only God’s will would decide our destiny. That’s the magic of faith. What if this was the end for us? Since our kidnappers were telling us that they were ready to do anything, even kill us: ‘Your soul or the money?’ they said as they demanded the twenty million in ransom. Where were we going to find this amount right now, while they were asking us not to waste their time? Two hours and twenty minutes is how long this hell had lasted. And the more the hand of my watch turned, as they had left it to me, the more worried I became, but hope didn’t give way to despair. Which gave the appearance of a certain external tranquillity. This was no time for panic. In an unequal dialogue with the Lord, the saints and the angels inspired us with responses that were both firm and gentle. This would undoubtedly have disarmed our kidnappers internally, forcing them to give us a new chance at life, our physical freedom. The forty-minute walk home felt like forty years of walking in the desert. After this exile, we still need to make our true freedom our own, which is to always choose what is good, not to be locked in a spirit of hatred, to pray for our persecutors and for peace in our country. In other words, to free ourselves from the post-traumatic consequences in order to regain a sense of security, because the week following the event was not an easy one to deal with. Today, we can say with certainty that we were dead, but we have come back to life. Thank you to God, thank you to all those who have supported us and continue to support us, thank you to our Mother General, to our Provincial, thank you to our Bishop Monsignor Mirek, to the Apostolic Nuncio to Chad and the Central African Republic His Eminence Monsignor Laterza, thank you to the Holy Father Pope Francis for their pastoral care. I am free, we are free. From now on, Easter will have a deeper and more concrete meaning for us.

sr. Pokam Gisele Magloire